Final Fantasy Chronicles
by The Pope
Summary: An original, FF-based story. Four individuals could be the deciding factor in a war that has raged for millenia. Keeping the four from utter oblivion is a group of brave adventurers sent upon a quest that none had asked for.
1. Prologue: Dawn

**Prologue: Dawn**

It was a morning at the beginning of spring, and somewhat cold. As a chill wind from the north caressed the castle of Freija, the young woman wrapped her arms about herself, cursing her own fascination with watching the sun rise each morning from her balcony near the top of the castle's primary keep. She would often venture out onto the stone platform on days as cold as or colder than that morning, and she never wore more than a loose silk nightgown that conformed to her body, displaying her every feature in vivid detail. Such was not proper protection from the elements, she thought, and she ran the idea of bringing a blanket with her through her mind for several moments. However, as soon as the glorious orb of the day inched its way above the treetops of the forest to the east, the young woman's attention was given fully to the birth of the morning.

The sun rose as always, but its daily rising never ceased to amaze the young woman. She stared in awe as the burning sphere made its way ever so slowly over the trees of the forest, blanketing the woodlands in a soft light and awakening the animals within. It then proceeded to rise, lighting the plains between the castle and the forest as it did so. Its wondrous radius of light eventually engulfed the castle, virtually bathing it in the glory of the day, then spread out into the sky, causing the oranges and purples of dawn to give way to magnificent azure. The very clouds in the sky seemed to shy away from the sun as if bowing in awe and respect for their emperor, and, though she could not see the moon, the young woman was positive that it was following the example of the clouds. No object in the astral domain could face the glory and might of the sun, the beacon that lit the daylight hours before taking its rest in the night, only to continue its endless journey across the sky on the following day.

Shielding her eyes from the overwhelming light of the sun, the young woman thanked the gods that her balcony did not offer a view of the city to the south of the castle. In her opinion, the sight of civilization served to utterly corrupt the magnificent phenomenon of the sunrise, especially when said civilization consisted of little more than overly grand and extravagant spires extending above small, crowded houses and, in some cases, slums. This often caused the young woman to wonder why her father did nothing for those living in the slums that were buried beneath the glory of the capital city of Freija, despite the fact that he had quite a bit of money to spend on beautifying his city through constant additions. As her mind began to rationalize, however, a sharp series of knocks upon the heavy wooden door to her chambers startled her out of her reverie.

"Lady Elina! Are you ready to go?" cried a decidedly feminine voice.

The young woman cursed. Yet again, she had forgotten to prepare for her morning prayers at the cathedral within the city, and it had already come time to depart. Thus, she rushed into her room, practically tore her nightgown from her pale body, and quickly clad herself in a dress that seemed equal parts comfort and formality. She hastily ran a comb through her golden hair that hung nearly to the small of her back, eventually becoming frustrated and tossing the comb across the carpeted floor, before stumbling to the door and clumsily releasing the lock. Thus, when the door was opened by she who had knocked, the young woman was nearly thrown to the floor.

"Oh! I'm sorry, milady," answered the servant girl, who had likely been sent by the king. She was dressed plainly; however, like all servants, she wore a sash of green and silver. "I didn't mean to-"

"It isn't your fault," Elina said, her voice as bright as the sun, but bearing what could only be described as a hint of sadness. "Do not worry yourself over it. We'd best be going."

"Of course," replied the servant girl with a bow. She proceeded to walk off down the hallway in the direction of the descending stairs, motioning for Elina to follow her. This caused Elina to sigh dismally; such was the routine she was expected to follow every morning. The young noblewoman wished, as she always did, that the day would not turn out as all others had in the past, for she could stand the monotony of the life of royalty no longer.

Little did she know that her wish would finally be fulfilled.

* * * * *

_The Pope (Zach Woods) presents..._

**Final Fantasy Chronicles**

Final Fantasy and all original characters and materials (few of which will even show up in this story) are property of Squaresoft. This story is the intellectual property of Zach Woods, a.k.a. The Pope. For an explanation of what I can and will do to you if you claim my work to be your own, read the United States copyright laws.


	2. Chapter One: Abduction

**Chapter One: Abduction**

An hour had scarce passed since the sun had risen and taken its place in the sky above the city that shared its name with the Freija kingdom of which it was the capital. As such, most of the shops in the middle and upper-class commercial districts of town had opened for the day, and people were out and about on their morning business in said districts. The slums of the town, however, were entirely different; separated from the more wealthy sections of the city by high stone walls, the district of town located directly to the south of the Cathedral of the Faith seemed nearly devoid of life. One would have either been foolish or well-protected to travel the thief-infested streets of the slums, and it would seem as if most of the inhabitants of the district's ramshackle apartments and derelict houses chose to remain within their homes. The few shops in the district were run out of the homes of the shopkeepers, for the very act of traveling to and from work each day posed a threat to the health of an individual.

Such a lack of human activity suited Seth; his mission was one of utmost secrecy.

It was upon the flat roof of one of the many abandoned apartments of the district that Seth contemplated. Even when undertaking a mission such as his, he was a thoughtful young man; even as he sized up the possible dangers of his task, his icy blue eyes held a contemplative gleam. His hair, an unkempt mass of platinum that, though odd in color, seemed to accent his pale, almost feminine face, had begun to sway and shift, indicating a slight wind from the north. Despite the cool weather, the young man wore only a sleeveless shirt and loose-fitting pants, along with a katana in a battered scabbard hanging from a black leather belt. His hand continually darted to the hilt of said weapon, for his nerves had begun to heighten his senses and instill a feeling of general paranoia within him, but one could not blame him; it was not every day that one was paid to kidnap a princess, after all.

After a bit of silent reflection, Seth stood and stretched his cramped legs. Looking directly ahead of himself, he could clearly see the stone wall that separated the north side of the slums from the upper-class quarters of the city, beyond which rose the majestic Cathedral of the Faith. Being the center of the kingdom's religion, it was a magnificent and overly extravagant structure composed mainly of white marble. In actuality, the Cathedral was more of a keep; its ivory spires shot into the air as if in defiance to all that opposed the Freijian Church. The very sight of the Cathedral caused Seth to sigh in disgust, for it was a testament to the fact that the king certainly had a great deal of money to spend on the poor of his city, but chose not to do so in favor of erecting magnificent structures that seemed to serve no purpose other than to mock the poor to a great extent.

As he scanned the horizon, the platinum-haired young man caught sight of another individual on the next roof ahead. Aside from being slightly shorter than Seth, the young man appeared to be very similar in appearance, if a bit more masculine. His black hair was every bit as unmanageable as Seth's own platinum hair, and he, like Seth, was lithe but well-muscled. At his waist hung two identical daggers in twin sheaths, each slightly curved and ideal for slashing. The mere sight of the young man caused Seth to shake his head and smile slightly, for the young man was none other than his brother Ryn, who was two years the junior of Seth. Thus, forsaking all semblance of stealth, Seth called out to his brother.

"Ryn!" cried the elder of the two. "What are you doing up there?"

Ryn spun around to face his brother. "I'm scouting ahead!" he said. "You know, there could be guards or-"

"Guards? In the slums?" Seth asked with a smile. Ryn had always been the more ambitious of the two, being quicker to act than to think. Seth, on the other hand, was quite the opposite. "Slow down. There's no need to rush; we will do what we have to do soon enough." 

"Are you afraid?" Ryn joked, taking a seat and awaiting his brother, who approached the edge of his respective roof.

Seth shrugged. As the apartments of the slums were packed far too close together, the young man was able to clear the nearly nonexistent gap between the roofs in a single short leap. "Why shouldn't I be?" he asked. "I know we're being paid quite a bit of money for this, but any number of things could go wrong. For God's sake, we don't even know who our employer is or who _he works for."_

Ryn shrugged. "He probably works for the Freija City Rebellion," he replied nonchalantly.

"You know I don't trust them," the elder brother replied. "Their intentions are noble, but I do not agree with their means of achieving their goals."

"Fine, fine," Ryn replied, crossing his arms and glancing toward the Cathedral that towered above the wall ahead. "Only a few rooftops to go…it'll be so easy."

Seth sighed. "Perhaps, but keep in mind that we still haven't figured out how we're going to get the princess out of the Cathedral without being detected."

"We can escape using the same route we used to get in!" the younger brother said in exasperation. "Of course we're not going to be able to avoid detection, but we can evade anyone in the slums, especially the personal guards of the Church. Don't think about it so much."

In response, Seth simply nodded. His nerves were bothering him more than ever, and he decided that it would be best to execute the mission quickly. "Let's go. I'm becoming more and more worried by the second."

Ryn simply smiled, then proceeded to run off in the direction of the wall, followed closely by the nervous Seth. It did not take a great deal of time to reach the wall, and, as the building upon which they stood was nearly as tall as the wall itself, the brothers were forced to duck under the top three feet of wall to avoid detection by any stragglers in the Cathedral's back courtyard. However, a quick survey of the area proved that there was nothing to fear, and the two quickly stood. Their goal was at hand.

"There it is," Ryn said, nodding in the direction of the massive stained glass window that formed the greater portion of the Cathedral's back wall and smiling in anticipation of what was to come. "Let's do this."

Seth nodded solemnly, then drew his sword and pointed it toward the gargantuan window. He closed his eyes in deep concentration, proceeding to mutter several odd syllables…

* * * * *

"…In the name of God and the three Goddesses of Fate. Amen…"

Though her prayers had come to an end, Princess Elina remained in her kneeling position before the altar of the church. Her eyes still closed, she silently contemplated on how much she did not wish to return to the castle for another day in the life of royalty. It was not as if her life was boring, she rationalized; the runaway princesses of fairy tales and myths were quite stretched in that they believed their royal lives to be dull. Rather, the life of a princess was stifling. One could not direct the course of their own life; rather, they were forced to become whatever their parents wished them to be. Thus, despite her father's wishes, Elina had begun to learn the holy arts from the priests of the Cathedral, for she not only wished to defy her father, but wished to help those in need, as well. In fact, she had become attuned to the mystic arts quite quickly, and she believed that there was something about herself and her spiritual properties that only the priests were aware of.

Certainly, the princess could always have simply fled from the castle. However, despite the fact that she would have nowhere to go if she did leave, Elina could not fathom the abandonment of her younger sister Eve. As their mother had died some years before, the two princesses were forced to practically fend for themselves, and the elder of the two could not stand the thought of her sister's life being strictly directed as hers was. Thus, she would return to the castle and continue her all but meaningless life as always she had before and always would, if only for the sake of her sister.

Before she could stand from her position, Elina's reverie was broken by what sounded to be the voice of one wise beyond years. "Is something troubling you, Your Highness?"

Elina opened her eyes and slowly rose from the floor. Turning around, she saw the man who had addressed her; he was a bald, elderly individual with gray eyes that practically shone with intelligence. He was clad in elegant robes of gold-trimmed white, and atop his straight, scholarly nose rested a small pair of spectacles. Upon being noticed by the princess, the man bowed his head in acknowledgement before speaking again. "You were simply kneeling silently for quite some time, and I was wondering if you were troubled in any way."

Brushing her golden hair out of her deep azure eyes with a pale, delicate hand, the princess simply shook her head and smiled. Father Ranus had always been sympathetic of her issues, and never failed to lend a caring ear when she needed to speak her mind. "I'm fine, Father," Elina said. "I was simply…"

"You were simply thinking of leaving again," the priest finished. "My child, you know that I would not recommend such a course of actions. However, my life, nor that of your father, is synonymous with your own. Your decisions are yours to make, for only you can decide what is best for yourself. Do as you will."

Elina sighed. "You know it isn't quite as easy as you make it sound. My father wouldn't hear of it, and I could never abandon Eve."

"You may be correct," the priest said, his tone ever simultaneously indifferent as a judge and caring as a father figure. "Remember, you and your sister always have a home here, should you decide that the life of royalty does not suit you."

The princess simply gave a silent nod as her eyes began to wander. Beginning at the primary altar of the church from which all services were given, her gaze slowly moved upward to the ascending flight of stairs at the very back of the large building. These stairs led to the enormous stained glass window set into the Cathedral's back wall, stopping at a point that seemed to be level with the top of the wall located directly behind the building. Often, the priests of the Cathedral would conduct important services from atop the platform that seemed to serve as the lower windowsill of the glorious window; such services often had a lasting effect on those attending them. Elina gazed into the multicolored panes of the window, her eyes becoming distant and whimsical as she viewed the scene created entirely of glass. Such a scene would have been the fulfillment of the princess' most wild and exotic desires, for displayed upon the window was a knight set astride an armored chocobo, his steel-clad hand extended toward a shy, unassuming princess. Though Elina was well aware that such was only possible in fairy tales, she could not help but hope that she had a knight of her own who would simply sweep her away from her troubles forever.

Yet again, Father Ranus' voice broke the silence that pervaded the room, and he pointed a gnarled hand toward the window. "Oh my…Princess Elina! Look!"

Though Elina had previously failed to notice the object of the priest's attention, she suddenly became aware of a single shadow that had seemed to materialize near the bottom of the window, as if it were standing upon the wall. As her eyes attempted to focus upon its blurred form, it shifted slightly, then ceased all movement. Suddenly, however, an odd glow seemed to form in the center of the shadow and expand outward, eventually becoming large enough to emit light through the stained glass of the window. As quickly as it had grown, the glow receded back into the center of the shadow, then seemed to explode outward in all directions. 

In a mere instant, the Cathedral of the Faith was thrown into chaos. The stained glass window that so beautifully depicted Elina's romantic dream exploded inward with a force that threw the princess back into the unsure arms of Father Ranus. The sharp crashing sound caused by the breaking of the window caused both the priests in every far corner of the Cathedral and the clerics charged with guard duty for the day to rush into the central hall of the church with weapons drawn, provided they possessed any such items. As the turmoil came to an end and Elina was helped back onto her feet, two young men could be seen standing upon the ledge that had once protruded from the base of the window. It was difficult to discern their features, as they were standing within a cloud of light smoke that seemed to be an aftereffect of whatever force had broken the window, but it soon became apparent that both were armed.

"This is the work of Chaos!" the rather shaken Father Ranus cried. "They are servants of the devil Chaos himself!"

One of the young men, who seemed to be wielding a dagger in each hand, seemed to take on an annoyed posture at the comment. "Chaos? Of course not! We aren't demons…we're worse than demons, in fact; we're mercenaries."

Almost immediately, several of the armed clerics stepped forth to confront the two mercenaries. However, before they could reach as far as the bottom of the stairs leading to the platform, the taller of the two men raised his sword into the air. "I will not hesitate to destroy you all as I destroyed your blasphemous display of magnificence," he said, his voice carrying a tone that was both unsure and commanding. The clerics simply froze.

Ranus shook his head in disbelief. "You wielded the magic of death! Only one of darkness can be capable of casting the Black Magic."

"It's not magic," the taller man replied. "It's an ancient art passed down through generations of skilled warriors. Unfortunately, I am the first of my family and my ancestors before me to use the 'drawing out' ability for less than honorable acts." He shrugged. "Regardless, it _is quite useful in dispatching those who oppose us." _

"What…what business do you have here?" the rather shaken priest asked, his voice quivering.

The taller man pointed his sword directly at the princess, who took a step back as if expecting another blast in her direction. "We require but one thing: her," he said. "The princess of Freija. Well…it isn't we that require her, it's our employer. We're taking her regardless."

"I will become a corpse before you have her!" the priest cried. With a gasp, Elina grasped his hand, and seemed to attempt to persuade him to simply let her go with them. Ranus silenced her, however, and continued to speak. "You wish to fight?"

The dagger-wielder shook his head. "No. We just want the princess. No harm will come of her; you can trust us." Before further words were spoken, the two mercenaries leapt from the platform and approached the princess and the priest. For the first time, those present were able to get a proper view of the two.

"Please, Your Highness, come with us," Seth said, politely extending a hand as if nothing had happened.

Elina simply shook her head. Such did not quite equal her vision of how her escape from her current life should be. "I…will go," she said nervously. "Do not worry about me, and…and tell my father about this as soon as possible. Tell him…tell him not to worry."

Ryn nodded. "Alright! Let's g-"

"Father Ranus! There is a riot of-…oh my…"

All present turned to face the front doorway of the cathedral, which had apparently been hastily bolted shut by the cleric who stood panting as he attempted to register the scene before him. "This may not be the best time to deal with such a problem," he said, "But a riot has formed before the Cathedral. They claim to be members of the Rebellion."

"Damn it!" Seth cursed. He had never trusted those godforsaken rebels, and they were now in a position to ruin his well-paying mission. Before he could utter another word or decide on a course of action, the heavy wooden doors suddenly seemed to warp and bend inward, then splintered into pieces altogether. Angrily, and despite the protests of his brother, Seth ran forth toward the open doorway, his sword pointed straight forward.

"What are you doing?" Ranus cried. "Leave this to us!"

"There's an army of desperate, poverty-stricken townsfolk attempting to enter this temple of God. We may be kidnappers, but we will not tolerate the harming of innocents." As before, the sword began to glow, first appearing to be a soft purple color but eventually reaching the point of glorious white. The glow then receded back into the weapon, then, as it had before, exploded out with such force that what remained of the Cathedral's doors were blown outward into the street beyond. When the smoke cleared, several charred bodies could be seen strewn about the front steps of the church.

"Seth! Let's go!" Ryn cried. Without so much as waiting for his brother, he directed the princess to the ledge and instructed her to leap out onto the wall, soon following suit himself. As the onslaught of revolutionaries charged into the church and entered a bloody melee with the clerics and priests, Seth bolted up the steps and out the gaping hole in the Cathedral wall as quickly as he could manage, causing him to fly over the wall beyond and land abruptly upon the roof of the building that leaned against the wall. He wasted no time in pulling himself up, then collapsed against the wall, panting.

"Oh, God…" Seth said quietly, his eyes staring off into the sky. "What have we done?"

"Our job," Ryn responded, shooting a glance in the direction of the bewildered princess. "We have what we came for."

Seth continued as if he had not heard his brother speak. "It was not supposed to turn out this way…we had it planned…the rebels…I…I…"

Placing a comforting hand upon his brother's shoulder, Ryn attempted to provide support. "It was them or us. You had no choice in the matter; they made the decision for you. It's unfortunate that I can say this, but killing is most difficult the first time you do it."

"Hey!"

Both young men's attentions were caught by the princess. "I do not know whether to thank you or condemn you," she said, "But for now, I think it would be best if we left this area." She paused for a moment, but quickly turned back toward the Cathedral. "No…Father Ranus!"

Seth quickly grabbed the princess' arm. "You can't go back there! Those damnable rebels will kill you. Trust me…they are far more unstable than your father knows."

Elina's gaze shifted toward the ground, which, in that case, happened to be the top of a dilapidated apartment building. "This is his fault. The Rebellion is his fault, certainly…I wouldn't be surprised if you two have done this out of anger for him, as well."

"To be quite honest with you," Ryn replied, "We don't know why we kidnapped you. We were hired to do so for quite a bit of money, but our employer and his purposes are unknown to us. Maybe he knew this would happen."

Seth's eyes suddenly widened. "No…we were…" After a bit of stammering, he leapt from the ground and pointed toward the south horizon. "We've got to reach the rendezvous point!"

"Why are you so enthusiastic all of a sudden?" questioned the somewhat puzzled Ryn. 

Seth did not move; his eyes simply narrowed, and his angered demeanor seemed to increase his presence, making him seem far more ominous than he was. "We must have a little talk with our employer."


	3. Chapter Two: Shadows

**Chapter Two: Shadows**

The small tavern was nearly empty. This was a small wonder; from the outside, its entrance consisted of a nondescript door in a narrow alley of the slums. Certainly, one could not simply stumble upon the tavern on accident; such suited the needs of the cloaked man perfectly.

Whereas the majority of the few patrons of the tavern sat at the bar, the mysterious individual who seemed to naturally avoid the attention of all other inhabitants of the establishment was seated at a table in the darkest corner of the room. His tall figure was shrouded entirely by a heavy black cloak, and a hood was drawn over his head, thus casting a shadow over his face that rendered his features indistinguishable. Oddly, he sat perfectly still, making no sound whatsoever and barely seeming to breathe. Upon the table before him sat two items, one of which was commonplace and the other that was certainly not. The man's gloved hand was loosely wrapped about the common object, a nearly-empty glass containing the remnants of some unidentifiable beverage, though was ever poised to lunge for the other, a rather large, slightly curved sword contained within a black leather sheath. The sword had much to do with the fact that most of the tavern's inhabitants sat as far away from the cloaked man's table as they could manage.

The oddly silent individual had been sitting in the same position since the sun had risen, causing some to wonder if he was, perhaps, awaiting some sort of company. Such was the case, though his business was far more serious than most could imagine. This was not apparent from his appearance, for he seemed to be perfectly calm and collected. On the contrary, he could feel his nerves rising to a point that they had not reached in quite a long while as he pondered the implications of the failure of his mission, implications that most human beings could not so much as consider.

As he waited, the man began to slowly trace his finger around the lip of the glass. Those who he had hired to carry out the first stage of his mission were late, and though he had great faith in the two young men, he could not help but worry. If they had failed, the man reasoned, fate would soon take a turn for the worse. No, failure was not an option; if the mercenaries had failed, the man would be forced to carry out the mission himself, regardless of the inevitable difficulty involved.

For the first time in a long while, the door of the tavern opened, causing the cloaked man's gaze to instantly focus upon the door. Sure enough, two young men entered, one of whom instructed a young woman to wait outside before entering. They were the very mercenaries that the cloaked man had hired: a tall young man with silver hair and his brother, a black-haired thief. They approached the table purposefully, the elder of the two wasting no time in conducting business.

"You set us up," said Seth in as calm and quiet a voice as he could muster, for he did not wish to attract attention to the out-of-place trio. "You tried to get us killed. Why?"

The cloaked man waited several moments before responding, causing Seth and Ryn to become more frustrated then they were before. "You don't understand," he finally responded, his voice intimidating though he did not intend it to be.

Ever easily angered, Seth pounded a fist against the table, causing it to shift upon uneven legs. "I understand perfectly. You knew that the Rebellion would attack the church, and you knew exactly when those damnable rebels would do so. That's why you sent us there when you did. Tell me why!"

"You misunderstand," said the man calmly, without so much as flinching. "Do not be so defensive. My reasons for hiring you to do what you did are more righteous than you may believe." He paused as if to stop speaking, but continued. "Certainly, I knew that the Rebellion would attack the church today. That is the reason I informed you to carry out the job as early as possible." He glanced around the room suspiciously. "Come. We cannot speak here; we are likely to be heard in a place such as this. We must travel deeper into the slums, for then we shall be more difficult to find." 

Seth's brow furrowed at the suggestion, and he crossed his arms. He believed the idea to be quite inane. "You obviously don't know this area very well," he said in a disgruntled manner. "Even we wouldn't dare to any deeper into the slums than is absolutely necessary, and there is little that frightens us."

"You have nothing to fear," said the man. To the surprise of the tavern's occupants, he stood, and strapped the sword upon the table to his belt. "Trust me, no harm will come to you or the…the girl if you follow my lead. We must move quickly, for I fear that they have already begun their search."

"Who has begun their search for what?" asked the bewildered Ryn.

"That question will be answered in time," said the cloaked man, and, without so much as another word, he practically threw the tavern door open and strode purposefully into the alley beyond, leaving Seth and Ryn to discuss their next course of actions.

"Do you think we should trust him?" Seth asked his brother in a hushed tone.

The younger brother shrugged. "I have no idea. Like you said, we don't know anything about him. Still…"

"I don't think we have much of a choice," said Seth, completing his brother's statement.

"Exactly." Ryn placed his hands upon the hilts of his knives. "Besides, we're armed well enough to take care of him if he tries anything stupid."

With a sigh, Seth nodded. "I certainly hope it doesn't come to that," he said. He shot a glance at the door, and then turned to his brother. "We'd best be going."

Thus, the two brothers exited the tavern. Upon entering the alley, they discovered the cloaked man speaking with the princess.

"…you have nothing to fear," the man said. It was apparent that he had been speaking even before the mercenaries had exited the tavern. "Please, Lady Elina, you must trust me. These two did not kidnap you out of malice, and I assure you that I am quite the opposite of what you might think. I have come to protect you."

"Who…are you?" Elina asked confusedly. She still found it difficult to comprehend all that was occurring around her. 

The man seemed to contemplate for a moment before responding. "You may call me…Sion," he said eventually. "Yes, that shall do for now. However, my name is of little importance; we must make haste."

"Where are we going?" the princess asked.

Before Sion could respond, Seth answered the question. "We're going into the heart of the slums, a place in which we have little chance of survival. However, it doesn't seem as if we have much of a choice."

"I told you, you have nothing to fear," said the ever-mysterious Sion. "That is, unless…"

"Hey, uh, Seth…" muttered Ryn. He was pointing toward the top of a nearby building. Seth's eyes followed the outstretched arm of his brother to the location at which Ryn pointed. Atop the building stood a lone figure whose tattered cloak billowed and swayed, though there was no wind whatsoever. The most peculiar aspect of the figure was its utter lack of discernable features; it appeared to be a shadow of utter nothingness, standing out in stark contrast to the sky behind. It was as if a man-shaped hole had been cut into the very sky itself.

Sion lowered his hood so as to provide a better view of the dark figure, revealing a rugged, determined face with slightly graying black hair and intense jet black eyes. His gaze focused upon the figure, and he cursed in a distraught manner, as if having failed a trial of some sort. "How could they have located me?" he mused. "I took great care to cover my tracks."

"We have more important matters to worry about," Seth said in reply, motioning toward the figure. It had disappeared, much to the surprise of the four in the alley.

Sion's eyes narrowed. "It's moving. Come, we must make haste!" He promptly rushed down the alley in the opposite direction of that in which the dark figure had been spotted. Seth followed wordlessly, followed by the princess, and finally Ryn. 

From the outset, the run through the increasingly maze-like passageways and alleys of the slums felt to Seth as if the four were fleeing from something more powerful than they, though he knew not what made the dark figure capable of standing up to three armed individuals. However, he had no choice but to trust the odd man who called himself Sion, and he had reasoned that he would receive no information from Sion unless he followed the mysterious man to whatever unknown location in the heart of the slums that served as his destination. Thus, he ran onward, ever checking over his shoulder partly to make absolutely sure that the princess and his brother had not fallen behind and partly out of paranoia and fear of the unseen. 

At length, Sion led the small group to what could only be described as a small plaza, though the dank, gloomy atmosphere would have seemed less out of place in a graveyard. The ground was floored with cobblestone, though some stones were missing and others were broken into jagged splinters of rock that jutted up toward the sky as if lamenting the lack of life in the deserted area. Surrounded almost entirely by buildings in various stages of disrepair, the only exits from the plaza were two narrow alleys, one of which being opposite the alley that the group had entered through. Upon reaching the plaza, Sion stood completely still, saying not a word as his eyes scanned the area. Seth and Ryn spoke quietly amongst themselves, while the princess sat upon the ground in exhaustion, more confused than ever she had been.

The state of near silence persisted for several long, tense minutes. It was eventually broken by Sion, whose gaze turned toward the center of the plaza. "Draw your weapons," he said in an oddly casual manner. In one swift motion, his hand darted to the hilt of his sword, and he brandished it in an extravagant manner, causing his cloak to billow behind him and revealing his black, studded leather garb and breastplate. It appeared as if the mysterious Sion had predicted that combat would prove inevitable.

Though they could not find any discernable reason for doing so, the two mercenaries followed the man's advice and drew their weapons. No sooner had Seth helped Elina to her feet and instructed her to stand behind himself and his brother than a figure cast in shadow seemed to materialize in the center of the uninhabited plaza. Its identity was unmistakable; it was most certainly the same figure that had been watching the small group from atop a building mere minutes ago. Oddly, it was still as black and featureless as a shadow, and seemed to Seth to be almost two-dimensional in nature. Without thinking, Seth pointed his sword in its direction, his eyes fixed upon its vague form.

"What have you come for?" inquired Sion of the figure in as stern and serious a voice as he could muster. His body was poised to strike out at the shadowy being as soon as the need arose.

The figure simply motioned toward Elina with a barely-recognizable hand and muttered a string of hissing, whispered words, only the final two of which were discernable. "Soul…radiance…" It then seemed to compose itself, and said, ever in a whispered manner, "If you bar my path, samurai…you will die…"

Sion simply nodded, his expression one of determination. "As I thought. So be it, fiend; we fight!"

Before any of the three combatants could so much as step forward to engage their opponent, the dark being seemed to contort and melt into a mass of shadow. Suddenly, from roughly the location of where its chest had been, innumerable tendrils of darkness shot forth to engage the three. Seth and Ryn were taken completely by surprise, being struck by several of the odd tentacles, their bodies temporarily filled with a numbing sensation. Sion, however, seemed to preempt the attack, and struck out at the tentacles with surprising speed as they rushed toward him. Again and again he struck at the foul manifestations of utter darkness, but to no avail, for it seemed as if the dark being was capable of sprouting another two tentacles for every one lost. The creature's focus upon Sion was alleviated when Seth and Ryn came to their senses, but, even with the three battling the mass of writhing tendrils at once, the beast showed no signs of weakening.

The battle rapidly increased in intensity, threatening to overwhelm the warriors. However, it did not take long for Sion to formulate a plan, based on the fact that the tentacles would be eliminated if the body of the creature was destroyed. "Draw the spirit of your sword!" he cried suddenly. 

Seth was entirely surprised by the statement, taking a moment to comprehend its meaning. Very few existed who knew of his ability to channel and manipulate the inherent energies found in swords, most notably katanas, crafted by blade smiths skilled in the most ancient arts of metalworking. His affinity with the technique known as "draw-out," a rare skill that had all but disappeared from the minds of modern folk, had been taught to him by his father, who had died years ago; Seth did not often share his knowledge of the skill. Thus, it was highly unlikely for any to know of his talent, much less a man he had met a single night before.

"We will keep it occupied!" cried Sion. "Perform the draw-out!"

Seth needed no further prompting. Despite his puzzlement, he leapt away from the dark creature and extended his weapon forward. Much to his surprise, the blade of his katana began to react without any concentration on his part; along its side appeared odd runes that emitted a fierce white light. As a result of this light, Seth found that the tendrils of the creature could not approach him. Time seemed to slow around young mercenary, and he charged forth, his weapon glowing fiercely. If he had been in control of his movements he would have likely noted the expression of surprise on the faces of Sion and his brother; however, as it was, he simply charged forth at an inhuman speed and tore through the dark tentacles much more quickly than they could regenerate. In mere moments he had reached the center of the writhing mass, and he laid into the being with a fury scarce found in humans. Thus, in a matter of seconds, the remains of the dark being had been scattered, and then faded away entirely. At the center of the plaza, which had suddenly become far brighter as if a blanket of clouds had revealed the sun, stood a tired and entirely confused Seth, who sheathed his weapon and asked the awestruck Sion a simple question.

"Is it gone?"

"You're damned right it's gone!" Ryn exclaimed excitedly. "I didn't know you could do _that! How did you…?"_

Seth did not seem to register anything that his brother said, for he was lost in thought, and mused to himself. "Doesn't make sense…this sword shouldn't be able to…I've never seen…"

In response, Sion smiled darkly. "It confuses me, as well," he said. "Do not concern yourself with it now. All will become clear in time." He paused "It seems that the area is now safe; I believe that I should explain what I can of the situation."

Elina crossed her arms. "It's about time."

"Of course," Sion replied. "It is certainly good that you are concerned, Your Highness; it is you that the dark one was after. I daresay that if you had not been 'kidnapped,' you most certainly would have ended up in their hands. They work through the Rebellion, you know."

"What exactly do they need a stuck-up aristocrat for?" Seth asked, receiving a dark glance from Elina.

Replacing his hood over his head, Sion sighed. "It is not only her that they seek; there are three others, as well, though I know not who they are. I cannot explain who they are, exactly, or why they require the princess, for now is not the time to reveal such matters to you. Regardless, you must guard Elina at all costs."

"Why us?" cried Ryn. "We're no bodyguards. Besides, look at her; she's helpless. She'd be difficult to protect in a combat situation, to say the least."

"You would be surprised at her capability to defend herself," Sion said. He approached the princess and placed a hand upon her chest, closing his eyes in concentration. After several moments, he removed his hand and nodded. "As I thought."

"What exactly does _that mean?" Elina asked._

"You are certainly capable in the white aspect of magic. However, the power within you grows by the day. I have a feeling that you will have no problem defending yourself, though you will likely require the aid of these young men."

Seth sighed. "Magic or no magic, she is weaponless."

For a moment, Sion seemed to contemplate Seth's comment. He reached under his cloak and produced a short wooden bow that had most likely been strapped to his back, and then removed a shoulder strap from which hung a quiver of arrows. Handing the items to Elina, he nodded. "Being an aristocrat, you are no doubt versed in at least the basics of archery. Use these well."

Elina accepted the bow and quiver, placing the strap over her shoulder. "Thank you, sir," she said. "I am positive that they will be very useful to me."

Sion seemed not to register the princess' statement; he approached Seth and placed a hand upon the mercenary's shoulder. "I know not what sort of power you released from your sword during your attack, but I am sure that you will discover this during your journey. You must travel east, to the village of Treby; there you will be safe for a time. I know not where your path will lead from there. Remember," he said, his voice becoming quite commanding, "Guard the girl with your life. She must not fall into their hands. Good luck, Seth." Without another word, the mysterious Sion disappeared into the alley from which the group had come.

Seth was quite puzzled. "Ryn," he said, his voice betraying his unease.

"Yes?" his brother responded.

"He knew my name."

"I know," Ryn said, "But that isn't important now. I think we should do what he said and get the hell out of here."

"Right," he said with a nod. "Princess Elina, you are safe with us."


End file.
